PHOTOS: India hit back to leave MCG Test poised

Dravid falls early on Day 3

Australia paceman Ben Hilfenhaus celebrated his return after a year in the freezer by tearing through India's middle order as the tourists were skittled for 282 before lunch on the third day of the first Test in Melbourne, on Wednesday.

Dhoni's poor run in Australia continues

Hilfenhaus then had India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni caught in the gully by Mike Hussey for six with the new ball.

It continued a poor run with the bat for Dhoni in Australia. In 9 Test innings in Australia, the India captain has not yet scored a half-century. His aggregate reads 143 runs at an average of 16.33 with a highest of 38.

Ponting, Hussey rescue Australia

Veterans Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey drove Australia to 81-4, an overall lead of 132, at the tea interval at the sun-bathed Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Former captain Ponting made his way to the centre with a purposeful stride and a rousing ovation from the stands but had to survive a tempestuous few overs off India's pacemen before settling down with a square cut blasted to the fence.

Hussey's fifty keeps Aus in the hunt

The 36-year-old Hussey, under pressure to retain his place in the re-building team after a pair of golden ducks in his last two innings, also weathered a torrid opening but combined well with Ponting to raise Australia's hopes of building a defendable total.

Hussey hung on for a gritty innings of 79 from 134 balls at stumps on day three, as his partners wilted at the other end.

Zaheer's double strike cripples Australia

With Hussey and Ponting raising their half-centuries and India desperately needing a breakthrough, captain Dhoni threw Zaheer the ball and the 33-year-old struck with his second delivery.

Flinging it full and wide, Zaheer coaxed Ponting (60) into a miscued drive that went straight to Virender Sehwag in the gully to end a 115-run stand with middle Hussey. That cut short Ponting's second successive innings in the 60s after each had promised more.

Zaheer then had Brad Haddin caught behind by VVS Laxman for six, ending a flighty 11-minute stint at the crease.

With Australia's underbelly exposed, Yadav twisted the knife further by dismissing paceman Siddle for four, with Dhoni diving to take a superb catch.

Australia captain Michael Clarke sprang a surprise by sending spinner Nathan Lyon in ahead of his slogging pacemen but the move backfired when spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had him trapped in front for a duck.

Siddle scalps Laxman for 2

Paceman Peter Siddle, who bowled Sachin Tendulkar for 73 in the last over before stumps to give Australia hope of restricting the tourists, picked up the prized wicket of VVS Laxman for two after he nicked an edge to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

Image: Peter Siddle is congratulated by team-mates after getting the wicket of VVS LaxmanPhotographs: Getty Images